Growth Club guides
Guides for creators
Free, practical guides for creators, updated for 2026: how to land brand deals and what to charge, how to make a media kit and portfolio, how to get started in UGC, how to grow on every major platform, and every way creators get paid.
Free calculators
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Brand deals
Find brands, pitch them and close paid deals.
- How to get brand deals as a small creatorA step-by-step plan to land your first paid brand deals: pick a niche, package your numbers, find the right brands, pitch, follow up and price it.
- How to pitch brands: emails that get repliesHow to write a brand pitch email that gets replies: who to send it to, subject lines, the five-part structure and copy-ready templates.
- How to find brands that work with creators like youEight places to find brands that pay creators, how to check a brand has budget and fits your audience, and how to build a target list of 50.
- How to negotiate brand deals without losing the dealHow to negotiate a brand deal as a creator: what's negotiable, how to counter a low offer, pricing usage and exclusivity, and scripts to copy.
- Influencer contract checklist: what to agree before you postThe terms every creator should agree in writing before a brand deal: deliverables, approvals, usage rights, exclusivity, payment, cancellation and disclosure.
- Gifted collaborations: when to say yes, and how to turn gifts into paid dealsShould you accept gifted collaborations? When free product is worth it, when to say no, how to disclose gifts and scripts to turn a gift into a paid deal.
- How to become a brand ambassador (and what to ask for)How to become a paid brand ambassador: the three types of programme, how to apply and pitch for long-term deals, what to charge and how to disclose.
- #ad rules: how to disclose sponsored posts in the UK and USHow to label paid, gifted and affiliate content in the UK and US in 2026: what counts as an ad, which labels work, platform tools and examples.
- How many followers do you need to get brand deals?There's no minimum for direct brand deals. Here are the follower thresholds for each platform's creator programmes, typical pay by tier and what matters more.
Rates and pricing
What to charge, how to price extras and how to put it on a rate card.
- How much to charge for sponsored posts: influencer rates in 2026How much to charge brands in 2026: the three pricing methods, current rates by platform and follower tier, add-on fees, and a calculator for your own range.
- Instagram sponsored post rates in 2026: Reels, posts and StoriesWhat to charge for Instagram Reels, feed posts, carousels and Stories in 2026, by follower tier, with CPMs, bundles, partnership ads fees and a calculator.
- TikTok sponsorship rates in 2026: what to charge per videoWhat TikTok creators charge per sponsored video in 2026, by follower tier and by views, plus Spark Ads fees, TikTok Shop commission and a rate calculator.
- YouTube sponsorship rates in 2026: integrations, dedicated videos and ShortsWhat YouTubers charge for sponsorships in 2026: integration and dedicated video rates by channel size, CPMs by niche, Shorts pricing and how to quote.
- Usage rights, whitelisting and exclusivity: what to chargeHow to price usage rights, whitelisting, Spark Ads, partnership ads, buyouts and exclusivity as a creator, with 2026 benchmarks and quote wording.
- How to make an influencer rate card (with example prices)What to put on an influencer rate card in 2026: formats, packages, add-ons and terms, with an example rate card and tips for presenting your prices.
- Sponsored post rate calculator for Instagram, TikTok and YouTubeFree sponsored post calculator: enter your followers, average views and engagement to get a fair price range for Instagram Reels, Stories, TikTok and YouTube.
Media kit and portfolio
The two documents brands ask for, and how to make them.
- How to make a media kit brands actually readWhat to put in an influencer media kit in 2026, section by section: bio, audience, key numbers, past work, packages and contact. Plus a template and examples.
- Media kit examples: 12 looks and what each niche should showMedia kit examples for 2026: 12 looks from high fashion to streetwear, which niches each suits, and what fitness, beauty and gaming creators should show.
- Creator portfolio: what to include to win brand dealsWhat to put in a creator or UGC portfolio, how to show results, how to build one with no brand work yet, and how it differs from a media kit.
UGC
Get paid to make content for brands, no big following needed.
- How to become a UGC creator in 2026 (no big following needed)How to start as a UGC creator in 2026: what UGC is, the kit you need, how to build a portfolio from scratch, find paying brands, price your work and deliver.
- UGC rates in 2026: how much to charge for UGC videosWhat UGC creators charge in 2026: per-video rates by experience, usage rights, hooks, raw footage and packages, with a sample UGC rate card.
Grow your audience
What works on each platform in 2026, with the data behind it.
- How to grow on Instagram in 2026: what actually worksHow Instagram ranks content in 2026 and 12 tactics that work: watch time, sends, originality, Trial Reels, the 5-hashtag limit, posting frequency and more.
- How to grow on TikTok in 2026How TikTok recommends videos in 2026 and what works: hooks, completion, originality rules, TikTok search, posting frequency, Series, LIVE and more.
- How to grow a YouTube channel in 2026 (long-form and Shorts)How YouTube recommends videos in 2026 and how to grow: titles and thumbnails, retention, Shorts as a funnel, Test & Compare, consistency and what to track.
- How to grow on Threads in 2026How to grow on Threads in 2026: how ranking works, topic tags, communities, posting times and formats, and how to turn Instagram followers into Threads readers.
- How to grow on X (Twitter) in 2026How X ranks posts in 2026 now its algorithm is open source, and how to grow: original posts, replies, video, long posts, timing and what to avoid.
- How to grow on LinkedIn as a creator in 2026How LinkedIn's rebuilt feed ranks posts in 2026 and how creators grow: profile, hooks, document posts, video, comments, posting frequency and what to avoid.
- How to grow on Facebook in 2026 (Reels and Pages)How to grow on Facebook in 2026: original Reels, Meta's originality rules, captions and hashtags, posting times and the creator programmes to know.
- Best time to post on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and more (2026 data)The best times to post on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, X, LinkedIn and Facebook in 2026, from large studies, and how to find your own best time.
- Instagram hashtags in 2026: the 5-hashtag limit and how to use themInstagram now limits posts to five hashtags. How hashtags work in 2026, how to choose the right five, and why keywords in captions now matter more.
- Engagement rate calculator (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) and what's a good rateFree engagement rate calculator for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, by followers or by views, plus 2026 benchmarks by follower tier and how to improve yours.
Make money
Every way creators get paid, and the requirements for each programme.
- How influencers make money in 2026: every income stream explainedHow creators make money in 2026: brand deals, UGC, affiliate, platform payouts, subscriptions, gifts, products, services and more, with requirements and tips.
- TikTok Creator Rewards Program 2026: requirements and how it paysTikTok Creator Rewards Program requirements in 2026 (10K followers, 100K views, 1-minute videos), how qualified views pay and other ways to earn.
- YouTube monetisation requirements in 2026 (and the 2027 changes)YouTube Partner Program requirements in 2026: the 500 and 1,000-subscriber tiers, watch hours, Shorts views and the changes coming in February 2027.
- How to make money on Instagram in 2026: every tool and requirementEvery way to make money on Instagram in 2026, with requirements: brand deals, subscriptions, gifts, Live badges, the creator marketplace and affiliate links.
- Facebook monetisation in 2026: Content Monetization, Fast Track and StarsHow creators make money on Facebook in 2026: Content Monetization, Creator Fast Track, the Breakthrough bonus, Stars and subscriptions, with requirements.
- X Original Content Rewards: requirements and how it pays (2026)X replaced Creator Revenue Sharing with Original Content Rewards in September 2026. Requirements, how qualified impressions are paid and what content counts.
Brand Deals HQ
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